Nivolumab was the first immune checkpoint inhibitor approved for use in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This noninterventional, prospective cohort study investigates real-world effectiveness of nivolumab in pretreated NSCLC patients in Germany (Enlarge-Lung/CA209-580). Patients with squamous (SQ) or nonsquamous (NSQ) NSCLC previously treated for locally advanced or metastatic (stage IIIB/IV) disease received nivolumab according to the current Summary of Product Characteristics.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFData on surgical lung cancer cases were extracted from the German Federal Statistics on Diagnosis-related groups (DRG) and a possible association between hospital volume and surgical mortality was explored. All treatment cases documented between 2005 and 2015 with the main diagnosis of lung cancer (International Classification of Disease code C34) and the German Operations and Procedure Key (OPS) codes 5-323 to 5-328 for anatomical lung resections were analysed. The treatment cases were assigned to hospital groups, defined according to the number of procedures performed per year.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFData on surgical lung cancer cases were extracted from the German Federal Statistics on Diagnosis-related groups (DRG) and a possible association between hospital volume and surgical mortality was explored. All treatment cases documented between 2005 and 2015 with the main diagnosis of lung cancer (International Classification of Disease code C34) and the German Operations and Procedure Key (OPS) codes 5-323 to 5-328 for anatomical lung resections were analysed. The treatment cases were assigned to hospital groups, defined according to the number of procedures performed per year.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe German S3-guideline on prevention, diagnosis, therapy and follow-up of lung cancer, published in February 2018, expands on the 2010 guideline to include a total of 19 recommendations and statements regarding the "processing of lung resection specimens (tumor resection specimens)", "processing of lymph nodes", "histo-pathological typing and immunophenotype", "extent of tumor growth in resection specimens", "resection margins" or "R-classification", "grade of malignancy (grading)", "regression grading" as well as the "examination of molecular targets". The statements regarding the analysis of molecular targets result from the diagnostic requirements of the current targeted therapy of advanced lung cancer. At the same time, a pathological-anatomical diagnosis according to the current S3-guideline fulfills all corresponding requirements in certified lung cancer centers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Over the last decades numerous initiatives have been set up that aim at translating the best available medical knowledge and treatment into clinical practice. The inherent complexity of the programs and discrepancies in the terminology used make it difficult to appreciate each of them distinctly and compare their specific strengths and weaknesses. To allow comparison and stimulate dialogue between different programs, we in this paper provide an overview of the German Cancer Society certification program for multidisciplinary cancer centers that was established in 2003.
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